University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Narrative poems on the Female Character

in the various relations of life. By Mary Russell Mitford ... Vol. I
Mitford, Mary Russell (1787-1855)
  
[dedication]

collapse section 
[section]
collapse section 
BLANCH;
  
Introduction.
collapse sectionI. 
CANTO I.
 I. 
[I.]
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
collapse sectionXII. 
XII.
  
Serenade continued.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX.
 XX. 
XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
 XXII. 
XXII.
 XXIII. 
XXIII.
 XXIV. 
XXIV.
 XXV. 
XXV.
 XXVI. 
XXVI.
 XXVII. 
XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII.
 XXIX. 
XXIX.
 XXX. 
XXX.
 XXXI. 
XXXI.
 XXXII. 
XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV.
 XXXV. 
XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX.
 XL. 
XL.
 XLI. 
XLI.
 XLII. 
XLII. THE SENTENCE.
 XLIII. 
XLIII.
 XLIV. 
XLIV.
 XLV. 
XLV.
 XLVI. 
XLVI.
 XLVII. 
XLVII.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII.
 XLIX. 
XLIX.
 L. 
L.
 II. 
CANTO II.
 III. 
CANTO III.
collapse sectionIV. 
CANTO IV.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V.
 VI. 
VI.
 VII. 
VII.
 VIII. 
VIII.
 IX. 
IX.
 X. 
X.
 XI. 
XI.
 XII. 
XII.
 XIII. 
XIII.
 XIV. 
XIV.
 XV. 
XV.
 XVI. 
XVI.
 XVII. 
XVII.
 XVIII. 
XVIII.
 XIX. 
XIX.
 XX. 
XX.
 XXI. 
XXI.
 XXII. 
XXII.
 XXIII. 
XXIII.
 XXIV. 
XXIV.
 XXV. 
XXV.
 XXVI. 
XXVI.
 XXVII. 
XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII.
 XXIX. 
XXIX.
 XXX. 
XXX.
 XXXI. 
XXXI.
 XXXII. 
XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV.
 XXXV. 
XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX.
 XL. 
XL.
 XLI. 
XLI.
 XLII. 
XLII.
 XLIII. 
XLIII.
 XLIV. 
XLIV.
 XLV. 
XLV.
 XLVI. 
XLVI.
collapse section 
THE RIVAL SISTERS;
 I. 
CANTO I.
 II. 
CANTO II.
 III. 
CANTO III.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section Narrative poems on the Female Character
next section

XXV.

Arming himself to give the stroke,
And giving, share, the monarch spoke:
“Queen Isabel, arise!
Stain not by drops that tainted flow,
The cherub's shrine, who sleeps below;
Oh! not for him that current slow
Steals from thy dewy eyes.
231

Start not. 'Twas not for Ferdinand
That thou didst, sad and weeping, stand,
At eve on Guadalquivir's strand;
'Twas not his cheek thy lips impress'd;
'Tis not his loss that steals thy rest;
Not those the mother's sacred tears.
Adult'ress! Thy unholy fears,
And guilty hopes, and love, and shame,
That look of agony may claim.
The page! the page! his name? his name?”
He ceas'd: the Queen nor mov'd, nor spoke,
Nor word nor sigh his mercy woke;
She only laid one trembling hand
On the rich shrine of Ferdinand.
She only lifted up her face,
As if one pitying look to trace
232

In eyes, where love's refulgent grace
Beam'd on her ever:
But from that alter'd glance she shrank,
And, clinging to the tomb, she sank
As drowning wretches to their plank,
“Tell thee his name! Oh, never!”
previous section Narrative poems on the Female Character
next section